The Republican journal., 1887-08-25

wood, which costs from SstjO to 800 per thouS-
and fcet-and the wretche,lly small wages of
| the working classes, the poor generally rent IL
coffin for the last sad journey, at the cost of
about dollar. Arriving at the cemetery, the
| body is taken out and wrapped, in Il serape,
laid in its rented grave, and the gorgcously-
painted box returned to its owner. In thos-
anls of eases the grave is hired only for the
| space of three or four months, and ut the end
| Of that time the bones are shovcIed out to
| make room for new tenant. Quick lime is
| thrown in with the corpse TO hasten the work
of dccomposition-but it is no uncommon sight
| to see, kicked about the charnel yard of interior
| villages, skulls with tresses Of long hair at
tarhcd, and other horrors which show that no
| sarrct!ncss is here attached to the dead.
| 10 the average Mexican the idea of death has
no terror, and he dies as inditlercntly as he has
| lived In many villages the custom is still ex-
tant Of decorating dead children with the wings
OF geese and turkeys, paper crowns, ribbons
streets seated in a chair, and burying them
| amid the noise of tire-crackers and Ministries
playing polkas and fandangoes.
few years ago one of the most celebrated
| writers on Mexico said: Sin the Capital, as
well as in the interior, have seen even more
revolving things. The pulque merchants hire
dead bodies, called dngeletds, ("ncw born an
gels,") as means of attracting customers.
The gathering crowd pray at first, and then
drink. while the muchachas make appoint
menus Will llcIF lovers. tnC uOuV serves
several merchants i'll turn. earning for its rcla-
tivcs an honest penny, and is not buried until
too offensive to be longer endured"
Even more curious are the customs of All
Saints Day, and the following eight days
Fair for the Dead" Then all the shops are
full blast, and dealers in cakes and bonbons
drive lively trade. But the confections must
all he appropriate to the seasOn,-sucE, for in
stance, as jointed skeletons in spring boxes,
deatiI 's-hea'ls in sugar, candy catlavers, cakes
in the form Of catafalqucs, etc, etc. Every
good Mexican attends this fair for the sake of
his departed ancestors; and as little gifts cher
ish pure affection, the lover presents his
sweetheart with a sugar skeleton. or skull
us big as her fist, the husband regalcs his wife
on tatly sepulchre, and the fond mother in
dulges her child IN a complete burial scene. So
everybody renders himself and his friends as
happy as possible, and these strange tokens
help to foster the national Indifference to
death.
Near this San Fernando panteon is the
church of San llypOlits-One of the most at
tractive in Mexico. 1t was rebuilt in 1899.
when Cortez once had Il hermitage in COM
mcmoraton of the expulsion of the Spaniarls
On a corner of the wall enclosing this church
is queer carving in stone, representing an
eagle flying away with an Indian Whether it
i, meant to convey the idea of defeat or victory
for the lnlian-of the rapacty of the conquer
ors or the translation of the Aztec to realms of
Supernal bliss. is wholly matter of conjecture.
Near this church is the famous ditch which
Alvarado leaped--according to his own account
on that disastrous night known rs the nOche
trtSte. Being commander of the rear guard,
he was one of the few who escaped, and avow-
Ell that he owed his life to il gigantic leap. as
sisted hy his spear, across one of the great
canals from which he bridge had been rcmov-
ed. Captain Bcrna' DiaZ, however, (IorteZ's
companion. who took part in the fray). writing
or these events fifty years later, stoutly insists
that Alvarado lied, and that no human being
could have made sucl leap, as the aperture
was too wide and the sidcs too high to permit
Of its accomplishment.
Continuing in this route toward the famous
''trcc of the nnche triSte, under which CorteZ
sat down and wept on that sad night while his
army were fleeing by, one finds many objects
of interest. Beyond that portion of the street
known as Bucna Vista, wher" are many hand
some residences and gardens of wealthy citi-
zeMs, the grand old acqueduct of San Cosme
ends in magnilicently sculptured fountain,
from which pours the limpi stream that has
been brought down from the springs of Cha
pultcpec. \ little farther on is the gate which
the Americans Stormed. WhcE they charged
into the city down the line of this acquedlct.
just where the giant waterway turns abruptly
to the eastward and stretches out toward the
ryprcs>-crowned height upon which stands the
old castle of Chapultepec. is that cemetery set
apart for the burial OF foreigners. 1t is known
many more Germans than our own country
men, Adjoining it is the English portion, both
'rn>clN shaded neatly kept am, fragrant with
Il lrofu>ion of flowers.
At the west end of the enclosure. looking
toward Chapultcpec. is Il lofty shaft of plain
granite. with marble dies. On one side is i'll
>cribed: "Io the memory of the Ann lcaii
soldiers who pcrshel in this valley in 1917,
whose bones, collected by their collitry'> or
der, arc here buried" On the opposite die is